BG learns how to do it, we think.

As I have previously mentioned, Billy Goat is wanting to get more 'hands on', or rather, 'rear end' on. He practices with anything on four legs, which up to now has been limited to the two other young goatlings, and Bonny, the calf. But he has not yet managed to go 'all the way'.

But then prancy dancy Ice Cream got herself out of the other field because she had the urge upon her, and it was a grand urge as could be seen by her continual fretful behaviour. Since no one else was sorting the problem out she decided to sort itself out for herself. If a male goat was not going to come to her, she was going to go find him. So she did. She squeezed herself out of the field, (we know not how she did it), and took herself over to Billy Goat's field. 

So we decided to let nature take its course. Ice Cream is on the left, BG on the right.

However, as in the manner of all novices, especially virgin novices, he had to be shown the way. We left them to it. Our day was busy. The hours passed. Time to get them in for the night. And there they were, waiting by the gate. BG could hardly stand, Ice Cream looked like she had had her fill. 

So we separated them. Ice Cream seems to longer to have the urge, but BG, oh dear, now he knows what everything is for he wants to keep going. Jumped out of the field yesterday to go find Ice Cream. And he has started wee-ing on his head and front legs, in the manner of all fully fledged male goats. Chucks up a stink already. Not sure we can keep him in the Middle Barn at night any more. Handling him, as we do, is going to pass on BG's aroma on to us. We do not particularly want to smell of male goat. No sir. It must be one of the heaviest animal smells, and likely to permeate everything within its range. So need to sort out his living accommodation asap.

******

Today is Sunday, and everyone is going to stay indoors today, apart from the sheep who are behaving themselves very well. But the goats and Lissie are driving us crackers at the moment. They are naughty, difficult, and wearing us out. No longer will they come in from the field and go straight to their night time pens. They deviate. Go here. Go there. And have to be gone and got. Takes ages. Last night we left Lissie out in the field. Could not be bothered with chasing her round and round. Have tried all the helpful hints which have been kindly sent in to us, but none are working. I think she needs to be with calf again to calm her down. I think she is probably wanting to be with calf as well. She can't see the point of having milk on board if there is no reasonable use for it, as in feeding the next generation. We don't count. To her, it is a waste to let us have it. It is a battle. Those jars of milk in the fridge have been hard won.

*****

I thought I might have a day off today, it being Sunday. Feel the need to be lazy, drifty, slothful, sleepy, etc. Lester feels the same. So after we have done our farm work, we decided that we will stop, which I will do after I have canned four legs of lamb (now cooked and sliced), emptied the fridge of this week's milk to make cheese but not yoghurt because we have drunk all the goats milk which was designated for yoghurt, and learnt how to fill sausage casings the filling for the casings now sitting in the fridge ready for go. Oh and then there is the veg plot which has not been visited for the last two days because I have been in the kitchen doing things with meat. 

Methinks that to have lazy Sundays is an expectation which must be put to one side when one is running a small farm, particularly at this time of the year. 

So have a lazy Sunday for me, while I think of all those other smallholders, homesteaders, and small farmers, who are sailing in similar boats to ours, and filling their store cupboards with produce sufficient to carry them through the winter months ahead. 

Sending blessings to you

Vx